This application make reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 through my patent application 3-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE PROJECTION DISPLAY SYSTEM earlier filed on the 6th day of November 1997 in the Korean Industrial Property Office, and there regularly assigned Serial No. 58354/1997.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system, and more particularly to a stereoscopic image display system for displaying a three dimensional image (3D image).
2. Discussion of Related Art
The 3D video camera is to record a 3D image which gives the effect of solidity or depth to an ordinary plane image. The 3D image is usually produced by employing the visual effect obtained by a stereoscope, through which one can view photographs of objects not merely as plane representations, but with an appearance of solidity, and in relief. The stereoscope is essentially an instrument in which two photographs of the same object, taken from slightly different angles, are simultaneously presented, one to each eye. Each picture is focused by a separate lens, and the two lenses are inclined so as to shift the images toward each other and thus ensure the visual blending of the two images into one three dimensional image. The 3D images taken by the video camera are usually processed to display according to NTSC (National Television System Committee) or PAL (Phase Alteration by Line).
The 3D image obtained by blending the two images consisting of a right and left eye images is processed through a suitable 3D display system, displayed on a screen. The viewer must put on stereoscopic glasses in order to view the 3D image. Typically, the 3D display system exemplary of contemporary practice in the art is designed to display the 3D image on a small screen that is not suitable for many viewers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,097 entitled Stereoscopic Television System and Apparatus to Jones discloses a stereoscopic remote viewing system including a remote camera unit having means for projecting a pair of binocular images of a remote object through a common lens system onto the sensitive face of a single television camera tube for transmission to a viewing unit having a television picture which can be viewed through a binocular image separation system that enables the viewer to see a stereoscopic image of the remote object. Means are disclosed as being provided in the remote camera unit for inverting one of the two images and then causing the two images to be projected mirror symmetrically onto the camera tube through the common lens system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,947 entitled Optical Device for Providing a Three Dimensional View of a Two Dimensional Image to Taylor discloses an optical device for providing a three dimensional view of a two dimensional image therein having a holder for pivotally supporting coacting right and left viewing conduits, each respectively in communication at one end with the two dimensional image and at the opposite ends the right viewing conduit having a right eye viewing member and the left viewing conduit having a left eye viewing member, with the right and left viewing conduit having therein coacting optical systems which act to split the two dimensional image and to pass one split image from the right conduit to the left eye viewing member on the left viewing conduit, and the other split image from the left viewing conduit to the right eye viewing member so that when the images are viewed binocularly they will give a three dimensional optical effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,602 entitled Method and Apparatus for Generating and Processing Television Signals for Viewing in Three Dimensions to Thomas disclose an apparatus for generating and processing television signals of a visual scene for viewing in three dimensions, including a conventional TV camera including three separate color video camera tubes, each camera tube adapted to receive light of a different one of three primary colors. Each camera tube is disclosed as being aligned with one of three optical axes which are nominally parallel, and are spaced apart a selected distance in a horizontal plane. It is disclosed that at least one of the first and third axes is rotatable so that it can be turned through a small angle in such a direction as to intersect the second and third axes at selected distances in front of the camera. Synchronizing beams are disclosed as being provided for two sub-rasters in scanning of the camera tubes. It is disclosed when the transmitter signal is received and displayed on a TV receiver and is viewed through a pair of eye glasses, in which one glass passes the first primary color and the other glass passes the third primary color, the visual scene will be seen in three dimensional viewing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,231 entitled Three Dimensional Color Display and System to Garcia, Jr. discloses a three dimensional color display wherein controlled modulated laser light of predetermined different frequencies is transmitted via fiber optics and combined in a fiber optic coupler to provide a combined light beam. It is disclosed that the light beam is transmitted along a fiber optic path wherefrom it is collimated and a three dimensional color display is formed therefrom, with the three dimensional display being provided by an X-Y scanner for forming a two dimensional image from the light on the single fiber optic path, a rotating display screen for causing each point on the two dimensional image to move along a path making an acute angle with the two dimensional image, wherein operation of one of the scanner and the rotating display screen is controlled relative to the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,350 Entitled Real Time Three Dimensional Display System for Displaying Images in Three Dimensions which Are Projected onto a Screen in Two Dimensions, to Garcia, et al. disclose a three dimensional display system wherein a scanned light beam is displayed upon a continuously rotating display member rotating about a fixed axis. One embodiment provides that the display member includes a pair of intersecting display surfaces. In another embodiment the display member is formed by a bundle of fiber optic elements extending from an image projector to a viewing surface. In a further embodiment it is disclosed the angle formed between the display member and the axis about which it rotates is adjusted, on or off line, by changing the length of an adjustable rod secured to the display member and a member rotating with the display member. In another embodiment, it is disclosed the light is transmitted to the rotating disc through a pair of changeable rotating apertured disks wherein the apertures are aligned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,354 Entitled Three Dimensional Optical Viewing System to Bass, et al. disclose an optical viewing system for producing a simulated, three dimensional image utilizing two video monitors and a half silvered mirror, wherein the two dimensional image produced by one monitor is transmitted through the half silvered mirror while the second image from the second monitor is reflected from the half silvered mirror and overlaid onto the image of the first monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,482 Entitled Three Dimensional Viewing Apparatus Including a Stack of Transparent Plates and Related Method to Gould, discloses a method and apparatus for viewing two dimensional images with a three dimensional effect utilizing a stack of closely spaced, thin plates, producing a multiple interferometer effect via inter and intra plate reflections between the plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,952 entitled Stereoscopically Display Three Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging to Schoolman discloses a stereoscopically displayed three dimensional ultrasound imaging system which derives image data from an ultrasound imaging apparatus including a two dimensional ultrasound transducer array, reconstructs the image data into a three dimensional model, and displays right and left stereoscopic three dimensional image components of the model on corresponding right and left video display devices of a stereoscopic viewing unit. It is disclosed the system includes a system computer interfaced to the imaging apparatus and a pair of image channels, each including a three dimensional display processor and a video display device. The three dimensional display processors are disclosed as receiving polygon image data, reconstructing it into a three dimensional form, and selecting the image data representing a three dimensional view from a selected perspective. It is disclosed the system computer controls the display processors to present mutually angularly displaced views of the same three dimensional image to form the stereoscopic image components.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic image display system with means to display the 3D image on a sufficiently large screen to satisfy many viewers.
According to the present invention, a 3D image projection display system for displaying a 3D image on a screen, comprises a projector for projecting the left eye image of the 3D image polarized in a first polarizing direction and the right eye image polarized in a second polarizing direction perpendicular to the first direction, the pixels of the left eye image being arranged alternately with those pixels of the right eye image in a matrix form, and a plurality of reflectors for magnifying and reflecting the image projected for the left eye image and for the right eye image from the projector, wherein the image light reflected from the last one of the plurality of reflectors is projected on the screen.
Preferably, the projector further comprises a 3D video signal processor for multiplexing the video data of the left eye and right eye image pixels of the 3D image signal to be alternately arranged in a matrix, an LCD panel for displaying a multiplexed 3D video image from the 3D video signal processor, and a projection system for projecting the left eye and right eye images of the 3D video image displayed on the LCD panel in the two polarizing directions.
Preferably, the projection system further comprises a light source for generating a visible light, a reflector for reflecting the visible light in a given direction, a first lens for focusing reflected visible light from the reflector, a first dichroic mirror for separating the visible light into red (R), green (G) and blue (B) rays, a filter for making the separated R, G, B rays uniform, a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate arranged at both sides of the LCD panel to make use of the anisotropic light characteristics of the LCD panel, a second dichroic mirror for mixing the R, G, B rays received from the filter through the first polarizing plate, LCD panel and second polarizing panel, a micro polarizer including of a plurality of unit polarizing regions corresponding to the pixels of the LCD panel to polarize the mixed light produced from the second dichroic mirror into the left eye and right eye images, the adjacent ones of the unit polarizing regions being polarized in the two different polarizing directions, and a second lens for magnifying the left eye and right eye images from the micro polarizer. Preferably, the 3D video signal processor further includes a signal separator for separating the 3D image signal into a synchronizing signal and a video signal, an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) for converting the video signal into a digital video signal, a first field memory and a second field memory for respectively storing the left eye and right eye video data of the odd numbered frame of digital video data from the A/D converter, a third field memory and a fourth field memory for respectively storing the left eye and right eye video data of the even numbered frame of digital video data from the A/D converter, a first multiplexer for multiplexing the left eye and right eye video data of the first and second field memories to be alternately arranged in a matrix to form a single frame, a second multiplexer for multiplexing the left and right eye video data of the third and fourth field memories to be alternately arranged in a matrix, a digital switch for alternately transferring the outputs of the first and second multiplexers, and a controller for performing the overall control function according to the synchronizing signal. The 3D video signal processor can further include a digital to analog converter (D/A converter) for converting a digital video signal transferred by the digital switch into an analog video signal.